


Table For Two

by wackyjacqs



Series: Bizarre Holidays [47]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Episode: s01e01-02 Children of the Gods, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-29 08:15:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17804372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wackyjacqs/pseuds/wackyjacqs
Summary: Jack follows Kawalsky’s gaze and involuntarily straightens when he finds Captain Carter sitting by herself. Her back is to them and she is unaware that she’s the point of interest for the other members of his team.The discovery settles uneasily on Jack’s chest.





	Table For Two

**Author's Note:**

> Written for ‘No One Eats Alone Day’ (15 February).

Jack stares at the item on his plate that’s masquerading as a slice of pecan pie with disgust, but it’s still better than the alternative of blue Jell-O, so he sets it on his tray and hopes his coffee will hide the taste.

Casting an eye around the commissary, he sees Kawalsky and Ferretti at a table to his left, talking away in hushed tones with the odd raucous laughter thrown in. The sight of the two men, full of excitement and nerves and the buzz of returning to Abydos, makes him smile because it’s only now that he’s been recalled to the SGC, that he’s realizing how much he’s missed his friends.

He starts to make his way over but hesitates when he sees Ferretti nod at something in the opposite corner of the room, right before Kawalsky glances over his shoulder and shakes his head. Jack follows the major’s gaze and involuntarily straightens when he finds Captain Carter sitting by herself. Her back is to them and she is unaware that she’s the point of interest for the other members of the team.

The discovery settles uneasily on Jack’s chest. For one, he doesn’t like the fact that his team is already showing signs of segregation. Whether they see eye-to-eye or not is irrelevant to him for now. He is relying on them all to have each other’s backs during the mission. And the fact that they are an hour away from stepping through the gate into an entirely unknown situation, yet they aren’t sitting around the same table having a chat and a meal together in a virtually empty mess hall, tells him their decision to eat separately is an entirely intentional one.

He shifts slightly and lets his attention fall back to his old teammates and grimaces. He has a lot of time and respect for them both, he really does, but he doesn’t have as much time for their boyish antics. With a sigh, he heads in their direction and stops at the table.

“Gentlemen,” he greets, glancing from Ferretti to Kawalsky as he gives them an inscrutable look.

“Jack,” Charlie replies easily “Take a seat.”

“Nah, I’m good. You both ready for the mission?”

“Yes, sir,” chips in Ferretti, before Kawalsky starts to chuckle. “We’re looking forward to it anyway.”

Jack’s brows crease in confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” Charlie says, holding up a hand, then gestures with his head towards Captain Carter. “I just hope the good captain-doctor knows what she’s getting into,” he smirks.

“I’m sure Samantha is more than able to handle it,” he replies.

Because, he’s quickly discovered that Samantha Carter is more than able to handle anything that’s thrown at her. After their initial briefing, Jack had decided to pull up the captain’s file. It made for impressive reading, but he also had to admit that Carter was telling the truth about her work with the Stargate Program. She had been working on the gate’s technology for two years alongside Catherine Langford, before he and Daniel had gone to Abydos. So, technically, the captain was right. She should have joined them on that mission.

However, shortly before they were due to ship out, West’s old-fashioned – and rather chauvinistic – attitude reached a whole new level which resulted in him telling Carter that her services were no longer required.

And it was purely because she was a woman. There’s no way any rational-thinking general would have let Sam go.

But, in a purely selfish way, Jack was glad West had blocked her place on his team because he isn’t sure he would have wanted her to see the man he was a year ago.

It doesn’t mean the entire situation was fair, but he now understands a little better as to why she carries a huge chip on her shoulder.

The sound of Ferretti’s voice cuts through his thoughts and he frowns. “Hmm?”

“I said, _‘Samantha’_?”

Jack tries to ignore the looks they’re sending him, so he shrugs and hopes it’s enough to stop their unwanted curiosity, but then he sees their amusement increase and he all but orders them to go and start their mission prep. He watches them leave the mess hall before he turns on his heel and heads towards his final teammate.

“Captain Carter.”

“Colonel O’Neill!”

He registers her surprise at his sudden appearance by her side and he quickly holds out a hand to stop her from getting to her feet.

“You don’t need to jump to attention every time you see me,” he quips as he slides his tray onto the table.

“Sorry, sir.”

“And you don’t need to ‘sir’ me to death either,” he adds as he waves for her to sit back down. “Mind if I join you?” But he finds himself grinning at the bemused expression on her face as he sits down regardless of her answer.

“So,” he starts as she shovels a forkful of pie into his mouth. “All set for Abydos?”

An enthusiastic nod is his answer, right before the captain starts to discuss the more scientific aspects of gate travel. He resists the urge to groan.

“Captain,” he interrupts harshly instead, then immediately feels guilty when he sees a flash of hurt in her eyes. He sighs. “Sorry. I just – all that technobabble stuff just goes over my head.”

“Technobabble, sir?”

“I believe that’s the technical term,” he replies as he scoops up another bite of pie and absolutely refuses to acknowledge how nice Sam looks when she smiles.

“Whatever you say, sir.”

“Ah! What did I tell you about that?”

“Sorry,” she mumbles, returning her attention to her own food.

“Carter, I didn’t mean –” He set the fork on the plate and sighs. “Look, I know we didn’t get off to the best start, but – can we try again?”

He tries to ignore the way her eyes narrow as she regards him warily.

“With all due respect, sir, why –”

“I know about General West.”

He surprises himself with his admission as much as he does the young captain, but when she purses her lips and her eyes, while still a brilliant shade of blue, turn slightly frosty, he realizes he’s said the wrong thing. So, he quickly wonders how best to follow-up with his last statement that probably won’t get him into any more trouble than he’s already in, when he decides he’s nothing to lose.

“I think it’s important for you to know that I’m not like him.”

“Oh.” He catches her confusion, right before a shy smile curves her lips. “Thank you, sir. That… that means a lot.”

“For the record,” he adds, not registering her praise, “Neither’s Louis or Charlie. They’re just idiots.”

He waits while Sam observes him closely, as if she’s trying to decide whether or not he is telling the truth. He knows his expression is blank – he’s mastered that art over the years – but he sees the moment she comes to a decision.

"Thank you, sir."

They fall silent as they hold each other's gaze but when they remain that way for just a second too long, Jack quickly clears his throat.

"Well, I'll let you get back to… whatever that is you’re having for lunch,” he says, pulling a face when he looks at her plate.

The expression on Sam’s face mirrors his own and she throws him a rueful grin. “It’s supposed to be lemon chicken.”

“Oy.”

“Yeah.”

“Word of advice, Captain? Don’t have a big lunch,” he says as he gets to his feet and lifts his tray. “Gate travel isn’t as forgiving as one would think.”

“Yes, sir,” she says, ducking her head to hide her smile.

“I expect you ready to ship out at fourteen hundred.”

“I’ll be there, colonel.”

“Yes, you will,” he murmurs with a smile.

As he leaves the commissary, he can feel Sam’s eyes burning into his back, but he doesn’t mind the scrutiny. He’s now actually looking forward to seeing his captain in action, because something in his gut is telling him that she’s going to be pretty special.

**Author's Note:**

> I’m really sorry if this entry is terrible. I kind of had to rush to put it together because my friends decided to throw me an (early) surprise birthday party this evening, so the time I’d planned to spend writing... didn’t happen.


End file.
